


Brotherhood

by SophieRipley



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Brotherhood, Confrontations, One Shot, Promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 09:27:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8885605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieRipley/pseuds/SophieRipley
Summary: Nick has graduated the Police Academy, and he's been summoned to the ZPD to discuss events of his past.





	

Nick was informed of his assignment to Precinct One during his graduation.  Two hours later, he received a phone call on his work cell, the one he’d been given when he worked for the Bigs.  It threw him a little, because it had been a long time since he’d gotten a call on that phone; he only kept it just in case.

He answered how he was trained to so long ago.  “Ombra here.”

“ _You haven’t been the Shadow for a long time, Mr. Wilde,_ ” came the gruff voice on the other end.  “ _I require your presence at the ZPD immediately, concerning your assignment to Precinct One._ ”

“Who is this?” asked Nick, suspiciously. 

“ _Come immediately, or forfeit your position._ ”  The line went dead as the other person hung up.  Nick was concerned, but he reasoned, what could happen to him at the police department?  So he walked out of his apartment and made his way with haste to Precinct One. 

Upon entering the lobby, the overweight cheetah manning the front desk waved at him. 

“Nick Wilde, right?”  The cheetah grinned broadly, his voice soft and pleasant.  “I’m Officer Clawhauser.  He’s waiting for you.  Upstairs and to the left.  Big glass door.”

Nick nodded and thanked him, then made his way upstairs.  The door was open slightly and as he approached the gruff voice inside bid him enter.  So he did, and closed the door behind him.

“Bogo,” said Nick.  The buffalo nodded, and gestured to the chair before his desk.  Nick took the chair, standing upon it and leaning over the desk.  “How did you know that number?”

Bogo snorted, then set down a picture from a file.  It was a crime scene photo of a Kodiak bear, shot once in the head.

“Percival Bearl.”

Another picture:  a cheetah woman, also shot once in the head.

“Chelsea Strider.”

A third picture:  a bison, shot in the throat.  And a fourth, a water buffalo shot in the head.  And a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, each with a single expertly-placed gunshot wound, each with a name said in a clipped, business-like tone.

“Each of these mammals were known in the Zootopia underground.  Each of them crossed Arcturo Big in some way only weeks before they died.”  Bogo looked down at Nick.

Nick looked at the images, then looked back up at Bogo.  “I remember reading the news reports about these mammals.  Police had no leads, no evidence.  They all went cold.”

“Wilde, I didn’t become chief of police in Zootopia by being an idiot.  I have a network of informants in the underground, and I’ve heard some things.  Years ago when Big had these mammals killed, I was told the assassin was known as Ombra.  ‘The Shadow.’  Slippery, slick, uncatchable.”

Nick nodded.  “It’s a well-known name in some circles.”

Bogo clasped his hooves together and his eyes narrowed at Nick.  “I know you were the Big family ‘liquidator,’ Wilde.  I can’t prove it.  But I know what you’ve done.  I know what you _can_ do.”

Nick’s stomach soured.  “You’re going to fire me before I even get to prove myself.”

Bogo rolled his eyes.  “Why would I fire you?  I _requested_ you.”

Nick blinked at Bogo for a moment, stunned into silence.  After a long moment, he drew a breath.  “Then why go through this whole song and dance, tormenting me with these pictures?”

 “Because,” said Bogo very seriously, “I want you to know that I know.  I want you to understand that my officers are the best in the city, and we function not unlike the Big Family.  That is, we require the trust and respect of every single member so we can function smoothly. 

“You’re entering a family, Wilde.  We depend on each other.  I understand that foxes are loners, that you tend to depend on yourselves and eschew outside help; my personal team of officers are the best in the city, we handle the most difficult cases in the city, and that ‘lone fox’ attitude will get you killed.  Worse, it’ll get other officers killed.  Wolfard, Fangmeyer…Hopps.  Your life is in their paws, and theirs are in yours.  I want you on my team, Wilde, but you must leave that lone fox crap at the door.”

Nick nodded.  “I’ve wanted to be part of a pack my whole life, Bogo.”

Bogo grunted.  “I expect you to bring the same talent, the same adherence to the rules, and the same absolute loyalty you showed Arturo Big.  And if even once you give me reason to dismiss you…do you understand?”

Nick nodded.  “No problems at all.  I can be one of the best officer you have, I only ask for the chance to prove myself.  And I ask for the respect that’s been earned.”

Bogo narrowed his eyes at Nick again.  “You haven’t _earned_ respect, Wilde.  You’ve passed the Academy.  That gets you a place, not respect.”

Nick shook his head.  “Not for _me_ , Bogo.”  He leaned on the desk and looked into Bogo’s eyes with a grim expression.  “For _Judy_.  Last year you treated her like trash, Bogo.  I can be one of the best officers you have, but if you ever disrespect Judy again I’ll be the worst enemy this precinct has ever seen.  She could be the single best officer this city has seen in history, if you gave her the chance.”

Bogo stood slowly, glaring down at the fox.  “Did you just threaten me, fox?”

Nick gazed steadily back up at him, not betraying the fear he felt.  “I don’t threaten.  I promise.  And I’m a fox of my word.”

Bogo continued to glare at him for a long moment, then a small smile crossed his face.  “That’ll do, fox.  I’ll see you on Monday.”

Nick nodded, hopped off the chair, and walked out.  After he closed the door behind himself, he smiled.  He’d wondered for a long time if he’d come to regret choosing to work for old Buffalo Butt, but for the first time he was certain he would in fact enjoy the job.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Families](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9285413) by [kaligos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaligos/pseuds/kaligos)




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